


Stowaway

by swtalmnd



Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, Just Add Kittens, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-14
Updated: 2017-02-14
Packaged: 2018-09-24 07:39:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9711512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swtalmnd/pseuds/swtalmnd
Summary: Arthur and Eames are flying away from a job together. Eames has a stowaway.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Avacyn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avacyn/gifts).



> For avacynner as a gift for Eames' Stupid Cupid. Happy Valentine's Day!
> 
> Thanks to kate_the_reader for the quick beta. <3

Arthur had settled into a window seat in First Class when he heard it. He wasn't entirely certain it hadn't been some trick of his hearing and other ambient noise until it happened again, a little more loudly. Mew.

Arthur looked over at Eames, only to find a tiny, furry face peeking itself out of his inner jacket pocket. "Did you smuggle a kitten onto this international flight?"

"No," said Eames offendedly. "I'll have you know that Epicene here has all of its papers in order."

"It? Wait, Epicene? You named your cat gender neutral?" Arthur's eyebrows felt like they might not go any higher. "Isn't that something they need to put on the paperwork?"

"Epicene's too young to sex accurately," said Eames with a little huff. "I didn't want to violate its privacy too much."

"You're insane," said Arthur. He found himself reaching out to let the little unisex kitten sniff his fingers, and grinning when it headbutted them for petting. "Epicene is adorable, however.”

Eames handed it off to Arthur in order to get his jacket off and stowed away above them, handing down a blanket after stripping off its plastic covering. Arthur didn't even think about it, he made a nest in his lap for the little gray ball of fluff to settle into, its purrs already soothing something in him.

Eames was smiling rather oddly as he settled into the seat next to Arthur, reaching out to stroke the kitten. "It likes you."

"I like it," said Arthur. He spotted the flight attendant coming down the aisle and flipped a corner of the blanket over it. "Get your hand out of my lap, she'll think we're having sex."

"As if you'd ever unbutton enough," said Eames with a smirk.

Arthur rolled his eyes, but when the flight attendant stopped, eyes roaming over the two well-dressed men, she asked, "Drinks?" like nothing at all was amiss.

"Water," said Arthur. "No ice, please."

"I'll have a Sprite, there's a love," said Eames, playing up his charming Britishness. "And could I get one of these lovely blankets as well?"

The blanket meowed.

"Of course. You'll need to make sure your cat is in its carrier for takeoff," she replied.

Arthur shot him a glare, and Eames smiled benignly. "Of course," he assured her, despite clearly having no such device on or with him.

"You are going to get us kicked off a flight someday," said Arthur, uncovering the kitten and continuing to pet and spoil it. It wasn't Epicene's fault that Eames was an ass.

Epicene purred.

"If I do, it'll definitely be for sex," said Eames, waggling his eyebrows at Arthur in a parody of flirting.

"With me?" said Arthur, distracted when Epicene decided to roll over and bat at his hand. Its claws were very, very sharp.

Eames reached out and distracted the kitten with his own hand. "Who else?"

Arthur stared at him, the kitten momentarily forgotten. "You don't really. You mean all the terrible flirting?"

Eames blinked. "Oh, Arthur, you really didn't know?"

Eames started to lean in, and then swore and pulled a bleeding finger back from the cat.

Arthur snorted. "Apparently not, and Epicene is unimpressed."

The flight attendant brought their drinks, blanket, and a small dish of milk for the kitten. They handed the squirming fluff around between them until they both had their laps covered in kitten-friendly fluff, their seatbelts fastened, and their drinks ready to go. Epicene didn't seem to like being held by the flight attendant nearly so much as by Eames or Arthur, but it tolerated the manhandling otherwise, settling happily on Arthur's tray table with the milk and water.

"I'll come take your glasses before we take off," assured the flight attendant, giving the kitten one last pat.

Arthur laughed. "You're mad," he said, turning back to Eames while Epicene contentedly lapped up its treat. "Where on earth did you get a kitten?"

Eames looked sheepish. "It stowed away in my suitcase when I switched hotels," he explained. "I didn't have the heart to abandon it."

Arthur laughed. "So instead you bought it a first-class ticket and f- got its papers together?" he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Eames' surprised mouth. "You're adorable."

They were interrupted by a sharp mewl, Epicene balancing badly at the edge of the tray table, trying to get back to Arthur's lap. Arthur helped it back into his lap and got it cuddled into a fold of blanket, not exactly hidden but at least not so obvious as to demand the flight attendant scold them. He petted the downy-soft fur until it curled up and, with a giant, toothy yawn, fell asleep.

"I'm going to follow you home," said Eames, smiling and full of all the affection Arthur never believed was real before today. "Will you keep me?"

Arthur grinned right back. "I suppose I have to, since I'm definitely keeping your kitten."

**Author's Note:**

> I'm amysnotdeadyet on tumblr - it's not meant to be a secret identity. Come say hi!


End file.
